By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
EDGEWOOD
Amanda Peters, from Kenton County, came to talk to Edgewood City Council about assigning two years of their drug settlement money to a Law Enforcement Navigator program instituted at Kenton County. The program is intended to produce police social workers for the Northern Kentucky area, as a help to the police department. Peters told council that about 80 percent of the emergency calls could be handled equally as well by a police social worker. She explained how Covington is working on getting their own police social worker, and Independence just hired their own. Erlanger has had a police social worker program for awhile, and Campbell County has 4 social workers, while Boone County has 3.
Mayor John Link said the amount of money they will get from this settlement, about $40,000 total, would not be enough to start their own program, and he thought it was a good use of the money.
“This is one step to help people,” he stated. “If we can just save one or two people that would be great.”
Council voted to have Mayor Link enter into the interlocal agreement with Kenton County on the Law Enforcement Navigator program.
Marty Hellman, from Verdantas, formerly CT Consultants, talked to council members about the road project on Dudley near the school.
In a related matter, the first reading of an ordinance closing Tupman Road was held, but CAO Brian Dehner said the second reading actually closing the road that goes all the way up to the doors of the school, will be postponed until the construction is complete.
There was some disagreement with some of the council members because the realignment of the intersection meant the city had to give up the pocket park, but Dehner said it had to be done to make the intersection safe for the residents traveling on Dudley and the school. He said in the long run, it does save the city $5 million.
INDEPENDENCE
Mayor Chris Reinersman moved his report up in the meeting so he could rant about how the legislative session in Frankfort is going. A bill that allows Air B+B to have houses in neighborhoods as a conditional use wasn’t looking good for any kind of passage, but then somehow it was attached to another bill and has a second chance at life. A bill allowing chickens in anyone’s backyard is looking strong, and Reinersman said that should not be a state law, but a local law. He showed council how none of the representatives or senators live in Independence, although most of them have been very responsive when he has called them.
“Despite the fact that we are the 13th largest city in the Commonwealth, we have no representatives that live in the city,” Reinersman said. “And that’s not ideal, but it’s okay. But for heaven’s sake, let us decide local issues on our own. Lets not feel like you need to, you know this paternalistic idea that us kids don’t know what we’re doing, so the state has to come in and handle it for us. Good Lord, as a state are we really that worried about backyard chickens, and people’s sacred right to have backyard chickens across the state? It’s just silly.”
He said a lot of it is special interest. He said his understanding is the Air B+B lobby, the manufactured housing lobby, and several special interest lobbies are working very hard to get their issues pushed through.
“We need the local control to stay with local control,” said Reinersman. “And I want to send that message loud and clear, that we are paying attention, and we do care about our local issues. It’s been frustrating!”
In other business, the second reading of an ordinance changing the name of Court Street to Ponzer Court in honor of former Deputy Sheriff Vince Ponzer was passed by council.
Several resolutions passed which will be sent to Frankfort in opposition to HB85, SB18, SB110, HB134, HB173, HB253, HB490, HB 806, and SB89.
ERLANGER
Erlanger City Council honored La Hacienda supermarket as the business in the spotlight this month. Keiana Sherman took the oath of office as a lieutenant in the Fire/EMS squad.
Bids were opened and companies designated for the projects on the Narrows road bridge, Brightleaf Boulevard sidewalk, McArthur Lane Street project, and the project on Borderlands and Park Place.
A Municipal order arranged for the disposal of some surplus property from the city.
FORT WRIGHT
Fort Wright city council listened to an audit report from John Chamberlain from Chamberlain and Associates. When the topic got to the amount the city pays for the CERS pension fund, Mayor Dave Hatter was triggered.
“I just think this is a complete crock,” he stated. “Every year we pay every dime that we are required as the employer to pay to the retirement fund and the employees pay their contribution, and yet because of the extreme incompetence, ineptitude and mismanagement of the pension funds, in general, and CERS in particular, over a very extended period of time, there’s all this unfunded liability. So they whip up some magic federal government type mumbo- jumbo — but wait a minute, I know how we can make the books look better, we’ll go ahead and come up with a deferred liability for all the cities, and then you proportionately owe money and now suddenly millions of dollars show up on our books that we supposedly owe despite we have paid every dime that they have told us to pay, but now we have this bs liability!.”
He said the city took a case all the way to the Supreme Court to get relief from what he believes to be fraud. Hatter did say at least the payments are going in the right direction, and decreasing.
Chamberlain said that the city is in strong financial shape.
“At the end of the day, it’s the residents’ money,” Hatter summed up. “We need to be good stewards of it.”
Council passed the second reading of an ordinance setting licensing and fees for any businesses concerning cannabis. CAO Jill Bailey said it boils down to 10 percent of the state fees. They also passed an ordinance giving Verizon a franchise, letting them have the right to use the right of way to install their equipment.
After an executive session, council voted for a resolution which would transfer the occupational license incentive payments from Von Lehman and Associates to Dean Dorton Allen Ford PLLC as a result of the merger/acquisition between Von Lehman and Associates and Dean Dorton Allen Ford PLLC.
Council also voted to have the city move forward with the filing of liens for applicable delinquent tax payments of real and tangible property taxes.
There will be a blood drive in the city on March 11, and a clean up day on April 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.
CAMPBELL COUNTY
Campbell County Solid Waste Coordinator Megan Clere Abrams presented the 2024 Solid Waste Annual report at this month’s meeting of the fiscal court. The totals for last year’s county cleanup were that 4,235 residents participated in both the spring and the fall event, and the trash collected amounted to 569.73 tons. Commissioners asked some questions about the amounts and future events, and Abrams had the answers. She said the voucher program is available all year long, and there will be places to drop off unwanted electronic items around the county that will be open all year long. She also said that the date for River Sweep is May 24.
Commissioners approved the hiring of two police social workers, Ashley Best and Felicity Ford.
They also approved the promotion of Kayla Greis to be the Deputy Director of Animal Services. They will also be eliminating the position of Senior Animal Control Officer with the addition of the new position.
Justin Verst was reappointed to the Campbell County Planning and Zoning for another four year term.